Green Tomato Mincemeat

"This makes about 30 pints of mincemeat. Have on hand 30 pint canning jars with brand-new rings and lids. Reusing old lids is not recommended. A delicious way to use green tomatoes. The recipe came from my grandfather, and our family has been making it forever! Use straight from the jar for pies, cookies, muffins, or cake."

Ladle filling into the sterilized jars, leaving 1/2 inch head space. Wipe the jar with a clean, damp cloth. Cover with jars with lids, and screw on jar rings.

Heat water in a hot water canner. Place jars in rack, and slowly lower jars into canner. The water should cover the jars completely, and should be hot but not boiling. Bring water to a boil, and process for 10 minutes.

Footnotes

Most Helpful Positive Review

Oct 31, 2005

This is really great! I scaled the recipe back to 4 servings to make and see if we liked. I didn't have any oranges so I put in more lemon. I used it to bake a pie and it was awesome. I plan to make more and freeze it instead of canning. I did cook uncovered for the last hour because it was really juicy.

Most Helpful Critical Review

Sep 23, 2012

I made this recipe today. I have not put it into any baked goods yet, but when I do, I think I will be inclined to mix it with store-bought mincemeat. The smell is lovely, but it did not cook up like I expected. The texture is more like "real" mincemeat, which is how my family refers to mincemeat with meat in it. I found the recipe difficult to figure out, as per my earlier posting. Weight for the tomatoes and apples would have been much more helpful. I had no idea how many to use. In the end, I went with what my soup pot could hold. I used 3 kilos of tomatoes and 3 kilos of apples. I cut everything else in half except the raisins. I used all the raisins. When I saw how full it was at that point, I cannot imagine what size pot one would need for twice as many apples and tomatoes. I also added about 1/2 lb currants and 1 lb each of red cherries and green cherries. We'll see how it bakes up in tarts or muffins. If I have any further tips after I do that, I will post again.

This is just like my mother's recipe which I lost! Thank you for posting so I can make mince again. I use butter instead of suet. I use half cinnamon and half pumpkin pie spice for the spices. I like to double the raisins. I also zest the lemons and oranges before peeling instead of using the candied citron. A food processor makes fast work of this recipe. I have also added spiced rum in the last 15 minutes of cooking which adds a nice depth to the flavour. Great way to use up green tomatoes!

What a great recipe! I had an abundance of green tomatoes and didn't want to fry all of them or let them go to waste. I love mincemeat pie and will love giving jars of mincemeat for Christmas. I scaled it back to 40 servings, and used all of the ingredients called for. I sampled it before I canned and am anxious to make a pie come Thanksgiving or Christmas. It may need a little thickening before putting in a pie as filling.

This is a great recipe for using up the last of your tomatoes that won't ripen by the end of the gardening season. It is great as a pie filling but we like it as a pancake, waffle,or ice cream topping too. ******You don't HAVE to add the suet to this recipe and it is still great.****** I am not opposed to adding suet,it is just my personal choice and it keeps the recipe vegan friendly.

This is great stuff. I adjusted the recipe to the amount of my tomatoes for a total yield of 13 pints. Chose to use butter rather than suet. I made this 6 weeks ago and have made two pies with it in the last week (testing for the holidays). For a more traditional flavor, added a shot of brandy to the second pie. Again, this is great stuff. Thanks!

My tomato plants got caught by the frost, and I was left with "tons". I used the calculator to cut it in half and got 14 pint jars. I used the suet, and added a lb. of currants.I was very, very pleased with the flavour and plan on giving some away for Xmas gifts. I have a meat grinder, and put everything through the meat chopper using a 3/8" blade. It was perfect. I boiled it the 3 hrs. and then processed in a boiling water bath. Don't be afraid to try it!

My original recipe called for the tomatoes to be drained, covered with boiling water and 2-3 Tbsp pickling salt. I haven't made your recipe yet, but think the above ideas would cut down on the cooking time - makes a nice thick mincemeat.

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

**Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.

(-)Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.